On World AIDS Day, Here Are Five Huge Advances We’ve Made To Combat The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic

On World AIDS Day, Here Are Five Huge Advances We’ve Made To Combat The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic

By Tara Culp-Ressler

Today marks World AIDS Day, an annual public health initiative to raise awareness about and mobilize support for combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic around the globe. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out in a speech earlier this week, significant advances in HIV research and treatment suggest that an “AIDS-free generation” may be in sight.

Clinton’s optimism is shared by the United Nations, whose officials recently noted they believe eradicating AIDS is “entirely feasible” thanks to the global community’s dedicated efforts against the epidemic. Here are five important advancements we’ve made toward that goal over the past year:

1. Increased access to HIV testing. Thanks to medical experts’ recommendation that Americans between the ages of 15 and 65 get regularly screened for the virus, annual HIV testing will now be covered under Obamacare. And in addition to removing some of the cost barriers to getting tested, this past year also included advances in the ease and availability of HIV testing. The FDA approved the first over-the-counter test that can be taken at home, and the CDC rolled out a pilot program to allow Americans in low-income areas to get tested for HIV at their local pharmacy. Since the CDC estimates that as many as 20 percent of the 1.1 million Americans who have HIV aren’t aware they’re infected with the virus, taking steps to ensure that testing is affordable and accessible is more important than ever.

2. Improved coverage under Obamacare. Before Obamacare, HIV-positive Americans often struggled to enroll in private insurance plans — but since insurers will no longer be able to discriminate against people with HIV based on their pre-existing condition, Obamacare will ensure that more HIV-positive individuals can access health care. Furthermore, the health law eliminates lifetime caps on coverage, so people with the virus won’t reach limits on the amount of HIV treatment their insurance companies are willing to cover for them. Obamacare also stipulates that HIV-positive Americans don’t have to have AIDS before accessing Medicaid coverage — an old requirement for participating in the program — so those with HIV won’t have to wait until they’re sicker before getting the health insurance they need.

1. This piece of Obamacare is a big one for those with HIV -

Obamacare also stipulates that HIV-positive Americans don’t have to have AIDS before accessing Medicaid coverage — an old requirement for participating in the program — so those with HIV won’t have to wait until they’re sicker before getting the health insurance they need.

The recognition of HIV infection as a diagnosis in and of itself is a big step forward for Medicaid coverage. And, from a pragmatical point of view, a more efficient use of resources.